Focus on Follower
Development. According to a study by
Cottrill, Lopez & Hoffman (2014), authentic leaders contribute to employee
perceptions of inclusion. This would imply that leaders should be opening and
encouraging so as to make subordinates feel connected to the group. According
to Avolio & Gardner (2005), the leader and the follower roles are developed
over time as their relationship becomes more authentic; “As followers
internalize values and beliefs espoused by the leader their conception of what
constitutes their actual and possible selves are expected to change and develop
over time” (p. 327). For this to happen, the leader should develop a focus on
role modeling to others within the organization. These leaders are able to give
effective examples for “followers through their observations and social
learning from the leader” (Hannah et al., 2011, p. 563). This, in turn, allows
the follower to learn who they are, and to become more transparent with the
leader in a reciprocal process (Avolio & Garnder, 2005). This is closely linked to Greenleaf’s servant
leadership model. Langlois (2011) adds to this point by encouraging leaders and
subordinates to share the construction of values within the working place as a
way of fostering strong commitment and coherence within an organization. The
school leader continues to build his or her team by encouraging subordinates
“to become responsible and to define success, not merely in terms of results
but also in terms of the way in which one goes about obtaining these results"
(p. 43).
